While the National Highway 74 scam has even become a major political issue in the State, small time scamsters too are trying to exploit the effects of the multi-crore scam. This was evidenced after Udham Singh Nagar police arrested two persons who were posing as vigilance department officials and offering to ‘help’ an accused in the National Highway 74 scam in return for money. Residents of Badripur area of Haldwani, Harish Kumar and Shivansh were arrested on the basis of a complaint by a person who had been approached by the duo with the offer of helping his relative Zeeshan, who is an accused in the NH 74 scam and presently in jail.
The accused are reported to be father and son, said Kashipur additional SP Jagdish Chandra on Sunday. He further informed that a resident of Kashipur had lodged a complaint in the Kashipur police station.
In his written complaint, he had stated that his relative Zeeshan was presently in jail. Two persons posing as vigilance department officials had visited the complainant at his home on February 1. The duo had sought money in return for providing help to the accused currently in jail. The two had also told the complainant to come to the vigilance office in Haldwani. On February 3, both had again called on the complainant’s mobile phone and called him to the Haldwani office.
The complainant became suspicious and informed the police about the duo and the offer they had made. In the course of investigation by the police, it was ascertained that the vigilance department officers are not involved in investigating the NH scam case. Senior police officer said that a team was formed and they started investigating the case of two men posing as vigilance officials.
The mobile numbers of the accused were put on surveillance and they were later caught by the police from Maheshpura area. A case under section 170 of IPC was registered in the police station concerned. The accused were sent to jail after being produced in the court, he added.
It should be mentioned here that then Kumaon commissioner D Senthil Pandiyan had earlier investigated and submitted report on estimated Rs 300 crore NH-74 scam and the State Government had earlier handed over the case to SIT after an FIR was lodged regarding the scam last year.